Three weeks ago, I made the very long journey to Humberside to watch Bath City take on North Ferriby. Yesterday’s away day was both a lot closer to home and a far less important than the FA Trophy Semi Final. The result was very much different too…

The Trophy game ended in great disappointment – losing on penalties and missing out on a trip to Wembley Stadium. Yesterday, Bath City beat Farnborough 7-2. Yes, that isn’t a typo, I did write SEVEN.

Normally I would be singing from rooftops after such a resounding victory. While it was great to see City win and score seven goals, the score line didn’t reflect the performance. You would expect us to have played the game of our lives and shat all over ‘Boro’. Granted, we did defecate on our opposition, but it wasn’t a vintage Bath City performance. We weren’t bad. Far from it. But we weren’t great either. Farnborough were awful. Just awful. They couldn’t have been worse had they tried. In fact, if it wasn’t for their goalkeeper, we could have brought the score line into double figures.

We were probably 5-1 up at this point – just before half time!

While I was very pleased with the win, I also felt a little sorry. I was sorry for Farnborough. If anyone could define a football club in a mess, it is them. They have a really nice clubhouse and their Cherrywood Road ground is lovely. However, the players looked totally disinterested. I have never played or even watched a Sunday League football game, but I can imagine what the squad of ‘The Dog and Duck’ would look like after a heavy night out on the tiles. The team wouldn’t want to be there. They would feel unwell, unfit and unloved. That is how Farnborough appeared yesterday afternoon.

Nice stand. Such a shame it’s hardly used.

As well as sorrow, it also made me worried how a non-league football club can fall into such a dire situation. Bath City are not immune from disaster by any means. The club is currently in the process of being sold to a community group. I love the idea of fan-ownership, but am concerned by the fact over a million pounds needs to be raised to complete the buyout. What if the club isn’t sold? Will we end up like Farnborough… or worse?

Jesus wept.

Getting back to more positive things, City’s seven goals were well taken, although many of the goals were partly down to Farnborough’s inept defending. The win is also three points, and while we cannot go up or down (official members of ‘The Nothing To Play For League’), victory is always good – especially away from home.

Our victory made national news. Clearly down to the score line, rather than the performance. Bath City were this week’s ‘Non-League Team of the Day’ on BBC FiveLive’s football phone-in show, 606. I like to take part credit for this, after contacting the radio station through Twitter, to nominate City. While it was nice to hear my local club mentioned on air; and bizarrely, our striker, Nick McCootie interviewed, I was left feeling annoyed and offended, when Robbie Savage and his idiot mate, referred to us as ‘Team Bath’. For crying out loud!